Mike Lee is the son of a great University President who models his ideology
after Ezra Taft Benson. I cannot think of a better framework to make
intelligent and well reasoned decisions regarding the fate of a Republic in
moral and economic decline.

NeilTClearfield, UT

Nov. 3, 2013 7:46 a.m.

Granted The ACA is flawed. All Republicans want to do is gut it. They had an
opportunity to fix healthcare under Bush and did nothing. Do we really want a
healthcare system where being unemployed means loosing your health care
insurance. If Republicans really cared about families, the poor and middle
class they would have enacted health care reform. People still like parts of
Obama care. Lee is in trouble and he knows it

dskiHERRIMAN, UT

Nov. 1, 2013 5:02 p.m.

If Republicans political leaning are the same as Democrats, why do we have two
parties? It seems we have too many people with amnesia when it comes to
Democrats outlandish behavior. To pass the Obamacare debacle (its a fee not a
tax) democrats told everyone to pass the bill before they can read it.
That's how corrupt they are. Obama claimed that the Obamacare bill will
cost roughly 900 billion dollars in 10 years and not a penny will be added to
the national deficit. The GAO report last February that Obamacare will add 6.2
triain. Thats for sure.fice aglected to ofllion dollars to the deficit. What
brought Mike Lee's discussion to this point was Obamacare. It is a
disaster. Democrats can't see that. All these problems were known by the
Democrats but they withheld these information until after the election last
year. Obama is the biggest fraud Americans and the Democrats fall for. Then
again, as long as someone sles is paying, why not. Mike Lee will be re-elected
to office again. Thats for sure.

LDS LiberalFarmington, UT

Nov. 1, 2013 12:19 p.m.

Don't Feed the TrollsSalt Lake City, UT"Utah's junior
senator told an audience at the conservative Heritage Foundation that such an
agenda should focus on ending immobility among the poor, insecurity in the
middle class and the "cronyist privilege" enjoyed by the
wealthy."

So he's going from the Tea Party to the
Democrats?

3:02 p.m. Oct. 31, 2013

==========

Hahaha!

AgreedBTW - yours is the best comment on this thread.

Don't Feed the TrollsSalt Lake City, UT

Oct. 31, 2013 3:02 p.m.

"Utah's junior senator told an audience at the conservative Heritage
Foundation that such an agenda should focus on ending immobility among the poor,
insecurity in the middle class and the "cronyist privilege" enjoyed by
the wealthy."

So he's going from the Tea Party to the
Democrats?

RedShirtUofUAndoria, UT

Oct. 31, 2013 2:18 p.m.

To "Happy Valley Heretic" what does that have to do with the fact that
Lee and Cruz, along with the House of Representatives had passed a bill long
before the shutdown to prevent the shutdown (September 20th). Between the
senate rejecting the plan to keep the government open and the shutdown, the
House along with Senate Republicans wanted to fund various parts of the
government.

Happy Valley HereticOrem, UT

Oct. 31, 2013 1:13 p.m.

@RedShirtMIT.

Are you forgetting that little rule change on the eve
of the shutdown by boener.

Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah), presiding
over the chamber, told Van Hollen that the rule he was asking to use had been
"altered" and he did not have the privilege of bringing that vote to the
floor. In the ensuing back and forth, Chaffetz said the recently passed House
Resolution 368 trumped the standing rules. Where any member of the House
previously could have brought the clean resolution to the floor under House Rule
22, House Resolution 368 -- passed on the eve of the shutdown -- gave that right
exclusively to the House majority leader, Rep. Eric Cantor of Virginia."The Rules Committee, under the rules of the House, changed the standing
rules of the House to take away the right of any member to move to vote to open
the government, and gave that right exclusively to the Republican Leader,"
said Van Hollen. "Is that right?""The House adopted that
resolution," replied Chaffetz.

RedShirtMITCambridge, MA

Oct. 31, 2013 12:13 p.m.

To "Esquire" I assume you are talking about Harry Reid or Obama. It is
well documented that Lee and Cruze along with the House Republicans did
everything they could to avoid a shutdown. The House passed a bill that would
have funded the government, minus the ACA. That would have avoided the
shutdown. Then, when Reid and Obama refused that bill, they offered many
smaller spending bills that would have prevented the shut down.

In
light of what happened, the only logical conclusion is that Reid and Obama
wanted the government to shut down.

EsquireSpringville, UT

Oct. 31, 2013 11:43 a.m.

@ HBZion, what ideas and solutions? There are none! He led the charge on the
shutdown. You are either uninformed or you are part of an effort to rewrite
history because it didn't go so well for Lee. Wow.

RedWingsCLEARFIELD, UT

Oct. 31, 2013 10:23 a.m.

Semator Lee is just showing what we already know about all politicians: They
say what the group they are speaking to wants to hear. Republicans have their
tails between their legs over this most recent fiasco, and want to hear a
concilliatory tone from the tea party.

Lee is still a Washington
insider masquerading as a grass roots reformist.

RedShirtMITCambridge, MA

Oct. 31, 2013 10:04 a.m.

To "one old man" it is the lowest since Obama took office, which
isn't saying much. Yes, the deficit was growing at a very slow pace during
the shut down. The budget deficit is still larger now than it was 10 years ago.
Didn't Obama promise to cut the deficit in half by 2011, and that was the
Bush deficits of $400 billion.

one old manOgden, UT

Oct. 31, 2013 8:52 a.m.

A report out this morning shows that the deficit spending right now is the
lowest it has been in years and years. Obama and the Democrats have finally
managed to slow the spending spree that came about in the eight years President
Cheney and his little friend were in the White House.

But truth is
foreign to conservatives, isn't it?

On the other handRiverdale, MD

Oct. 30, 2013 10:25 p.m.

Unfortunately for Senator Lee, actions speak a lot louder than words.

one voteSalt Lake City, UT

Oct. 30, 2013 5:44 p.m.

The desperate speech shows his diminished status in shutting down government.
The tea party is almost over and he should resign.

HBZionSalt Lake City, UT

Oct. 30, 2013 5:16 p.m.

I applaud Senator Lee for approaching the nations problems with ideas and
solutions. Don't shutdown, but come to the table and work to solve the
nations problems together as Americans.

Mike Lee has alienated ALL Democrats, Mike Lee has pushed aside MOST
Independants, Mike Lee has castigated MANY Republicans, Mike Lee has
hurt ALL Americans.

Most likely, He will never Chair a Senate
Committee, He will never be asked for suggestions or be asked to
participate in high level Senate meetings, He will never be asked to be
part of a bi-partisan ANYTHING for evermore.He will be a Political Pariah,
and seen as avoided to steer away from "guilt by association" by other
GOP Senators.

Is THAT the sort of representative the tiny population
of Utah (all 0.97% of the total US population) needs in Washington?

RedShirtMITCambridge, MA

Oct. 30, 2013 2:34 p.m.

To "Open Minded Mormon" lets check your myths against the GAO published
tables.

According to the GAO this is the debt at the end of each ear
that Clinton was President:

Tell me which year the debt decreased, The smallest increase was $23
Billion.

See "Clinton, Gingrich and the balanced budget myth"
in Washington Times.

The projections for continued growth and paying
down the debt relied on the economy continuing to grow past 2000 like it during
the 1990s. The problem with was the recession that occured at the end of
Clinton's presidency. It slowed down the rate of growth, killing any future
possibility of surplusses.

CKS007Clearfield, UT

Oct. 30, 2013 1:57 p.m.

Mike Lee had his chance to show us he could do the job of working with the other
members of Congress. He failed. I will not vote for him and I will assist any
campaign to vote him out of office.

The Hammerlehi, utah

Oct. 30, 2013 1:24 p.m.

I would like to see the follow through from Mike Lee. He is not a bad guy but
he has helped sow a lot of division in the Republican party and he has not
helped our leadership out in stating clear objectives for us to achieve. He
needs to help his followers help establish trusted leadership and then help them
to understand our leadership will try and do everything possible to move our
platform forward and also give clear guidance on what hills we stand and fight
and what hills we let go of in order to outmanuever our opponents. Retreat is
not defeat as long as we move to a better defensive or offensive position but it
needs to be with the support of leadership and the key movement leaders in the
party.

happy2bhereclearfield, UT

Oct. 30, 2013 1:01 p.m.

To those of you who seem to think Reagan would have been so main stream and
working with the Democrats, the Democrat Party of his day was not near as left
wing, uncomprimising, namely Obama, Reid, and Pelosi, and extreme as to pass the
most expensive legislation in American history without one Republican vote. No,
Reagan was lucky. He had Democrats who actually wanted to compromise. This
bunch will tell Republicans to go pound sand if they can, and not one of you
Democrats can refute that because your Party proved it with the passage of the
ACA. Thanks for the mess Democrats, but it is and will be all one you. And
I'm sure Reagan will be happy that it is.

Open Minded MormonEverett, 00

Oct. 30, 2013 12:54 p.m.

RedShirtMITCambridge, MAThe funny thing that the nay-sayers are
missing is the fact that you are wrong.

over the past 30 years the
deficit has increased every year. [Fact check -- under Clinton the deficit
not slowed from increasing, but in fact actually decreased]

However,
you should look at the spending that the Democrats have given us. Over the past
20 years, the Democrat Presidents have allowed the debt to go up the most.

I call you on this one RedShirt -- Under President Bill Clinton,
not only did deficit spending reverse, but the debit turn to a $5 Trillion
Surplus but the end of his Presidency -- only to watch GW Bush waste it in no
time, and then spend an addition $8 Trillion before throwing in the towel and
going back to Texas, leaving Obama and the American people with HIS mess to
clean-up.]

lketBluffdale, UT

Oct. 30, 2013 12:32 p.m.

he is a rich guy. thats all that gets into office. when they made the super pacs
leagal the repulic died. if you want to coplain complain about what is realing
killing our country. as for lee giving tax breaks when you have no money is just
to get votes. i dont mind paying more taxes if i get something for it. why do we
pay oil companies to look for oil when they are making record peofits? why do we
pay corporations to not grow food when they are making record profit?

RedShirtMITCambridge, MA

Oct. 30, 2013 12:18 p.m.

The funny thing that the nay-sayers are missing is the fact that Lee is right.
If you look at some of the elections around the US where there was a highly
conservative canidate and a moderate to liberal incumbant, the conservative has
won the primary election when they have a clear conservative message.

To "Spellman789" over the past 30 years the deficit has increased
every year. However, you should look at the spending that the Democrats have
given us. Over the past 20 years, the Democrat Presidents have allowed the debt
to go up the most. Bush averaged $400 billion/yr. Obama has averaged about
$1.1 Trillion/yr. That accounts for the past 13 years, when you include
Clinton, the Democrats still come out spending more. If you look at increases
in debt as a percent of GDP, it only gets worse for the Democrats.

To
"bungalow" it isn't just Republicans that call him that. There are
many independants and others that say the same thing. If you look at some of
the polling data out there, they find that the nation has become more polarized
(divided) since Obama got into office.

EliotGenola, UT

Oct. 30, 2013 12:03 p.m.

"Amen to most of the above. I and the five voters in my family as well as
numerous friends will not forget how Mike Lee divided the Republican Party at a
crucial time. He has good principles but used poor political skills. Anyone but
Mike Lee in 2016. How can a Senator be impeached? Could we end this
sooner?"

So for which offense would you like to impeach Sen. Lee?
Good principles or poor politics?

Something to think aboutOgden, UT

Oct. 30, 2013 11:55 a.m.

The headline should just read: "Mike Lee plays GOP". He
'played' them alright.

Open Minded MormonEverett, 00

Oct. 30, 2013 11:29 a.m.

Lee compared the party's position now to the 1970s, when conservative
activists were pushing Ronald Reagan as a presidential candidate. Reagan lost
his 1976 bid to an establishment incumbent, but the movement was vindicated in
1980.

======

Reagan lost the 1976 to the incumbent
President of the Untied States who was already a Republican and already sitting
in the WhiteHouse - Gerald Ford.

How DARE these Tea-Party extremeists
extolling Ronald Reagan!Reagan would be publically crucifed as a RINO by
Mike Lee and the rest of the uber-far-right-wing who keep espousing his good
name!

Reagan pushed for and got handgun and assault weapon bans, Passed the prelude to the ACA [Obamacare] with the The Emergency Medical
Treatment and Active Labor Act,Increased the Debt ceiling 17 times, Increased Government spending, Increased the size AND scope of the
Federal Government,Granted Amnesty to illegal immigrants,signed
pro-choice laws, andHe even COMPROMISED with Democrats to get
things done!

No wonder he was succesful, He was BIG Tent --

While the TeaParty purges the GOP with political purity litmus tests
from within -- and not even trying to woo the 80% of the rest of America
from without.

There You Go AgainSaint George, UT

Oct. 30, 2013 11:25 a.m.

Who was it that said...?

"But however justified, frustration is
not a platform. Anger is not an agenda. And outrage, as a habit, is not even
conservative," he said, describing successful political movements as
"about identifying converts, not heretics."

mike lee.

Frustration IS mike lee's platform.

Anger IS mike
lee's agenda.

Outrage IS mike lee's habit.

Politics for mike lee IS not about finding converts, it IS about demonizing
any who are not purer than pure true believers like himself.

"...His legacy will end up being likened to a third-rate Joe
McCarthy...".

Comparing mike lee to a third rate joe mccarthy IS
an insult to third rate joe mccarthy's.

Fred44Salt Lake City, Utah

Oct. 30, 2013 11:21 a.m.

happy2bhere-Ronald Reagan could not have been the republican nominee today, he
was was to liberal and willing to compromise for the tea party crowd.

Truth-I always love the term "low information voter" would that be
anyone who doesn't agree with you and Rush?

Lane MyerSalt Lake City, UT

Oct. 30, 2013 10:39 a.m.

"But however justified, frustration is not a platform. Anger is not an
agenda. And outrage, as a habit, is not even conservative,"

-----------

I thought that was what the WHOLE republican party was
about. Frustration with democrats, anger that we don't have a republican
president and outrage that congress passed the ACA. That is all I have seen
from Lee and company for the last 5 years. They pushed me away. I'm
independent as can be now.

RSLfanalwaysWest Valley, UT

Oct. 30, 2013 9:42 a.m.

We have two great congressmen. Orin Hatch is a flip flopper that just goes
whichever way the wind is blowing and Mike Lee is just incompetent. But as
Utahan’s we will probably vote for them again we love to forget the past.

TRUTHSalt Lake City, UT

Oct. 30, 2013 9:28 a.m.

So many low information voters comments on here........it's time to throw
out the old regime of McCain/hatch and embrace Cruz/Lee! Obama has failed at
every corner and the tea party is now at 50% approval ratings and climbing!

happy2bhereclearfield, UT

Oct. 30, 2013 9:16 a.m.

Ironic that Mike Lee and Ted Cruz might end up being the heros of all this by
next election. Reminds me of how so many Republicans were so opposed to Rush
Limbaugh saying that he wanted Obama to fail. Now we see why. If only Obama
had failed in getting the ACA passed, we would not be in this mess. Hang in
there Mike. People thought Reagan was a right wing nut case too. Even members
of his own party.

Mike in SandySandy, UT

Oct. 30, 2013 8:47 a.m.

Chameleon...

mohokatOgden, UT

Oct. 30, 2013 8:11 a.m.

Yep Sen. Lee is a bad guy. He was in favor of defunding the biggest lie thats
been told in modern history. All you who are bad mouting Lee must not be paying
attention to whats happening right now. Seems to me Lee and Cruz were on a
pretty noble mission. Seems as though they smelled a giant rat.

EsquireSpringville, UT

Oct. 30, 2013 8:10 a.m.

Lee's rationalizations speak of a Senator who lost, who can't get his
way, and is not taking it very well. He is without question the most
ineffective Senator Utah has ever had. He does not understand the legislative
process, let alone the concept of a legislative body. For the sake of the
nation, Lee, along with his cohorts Cruz and Rubio, should be retired by the
voters. In all my years, I have never seen such a train wreck in the Senate.

Craig ClarkBoulder, CO

Oct. 30, 2013 8:05 a.m.

Things didn't quite play out the way he planned so now he reinvents
himself. Meet Mike the peacemaker. That's called being a politician.

SalProvo, UT

Oct. 30, 2013 7:43 a.m.

Amen to most of the above. I and the five voters in my family as well as
numerous friends will not forget how Mike Lee divided the Republican Party at a
crucial time. He has good principles but used poor political skills. Anyone
but Mike Lee in 2016. How can a Senator be impeached? Could we end this
sooner?

Bored to the point of THIS!Ogden, UT

Oct. 30, 2013 7:16 a.m.

Lee's already trying to 'rebuild' his image. To quote Roger
Daultry (sp?) of the Who... I won't be fooled again!

Doug10Roosevelt, UT

Oct. 30, 2013 7:13 a.m.

Mr. Lee is at it still, any press is better than no press.

He ran and
gained recognition as a tea party member now is saying not to use that name.
Maybe because he soiled it as bad as it could be.

Mr. Lee is a bad an
example as Washington has of people who have their own agenda and they go to
Washington to promote it. Now he wants to be a peacemaker and make amends,
something he refused to do when the countries credit worthiness was on the
line.

Mr. Lee is unwilling to compromise which works in a perfect
world but has thus far been a failed experiment in Washington.

I am
certain he will continue to garner attention from media as that seems to be his
specialty until the next election when the people from Utah who got short
sheeted will return him to the ranks of a fulltime Utah resident.

one voteSalt Lake City, UT

Oct. 30, 2013 6:51 a.m.

Too late. He divided the party publicly and now the tea party is on it's
own.

hamacaBaton Rouge, LA

Oct. 30, 2013 5:58 a.m.

Yes, unity is crucial...as long as it involves everyone supporting Lee's
agenda, right?

Fred44Salt Lake City, Utah

Oct. 30, 2013 5:51 a.m.

The remaking of Mike Lee, sounds like a sequel to another movie called the
remaking of Mitt Romney. Mr. Lee is trying to make a splash on the national
stage but he will fail in the same way Mitt Romney did because at the end of the
day people will be asking "will the real Mike Lee stand up'?

I have an idea, rather than make speeches how about do the peoples work. How
about coming up with an alternative to the ACA that you think is horrible.
Anyone can Monday morning quarterback, but it takes real leadership to create
and then pass a better plan.

Mark from MontanaDavis County, UT

Oct. 30, 2013 5:37 a.m.

After throwing his temper tantrum and shutting down the government in the
process, Lee now wants people to like him. I will not forget what Lee did, how
he did it, and the results. I will vote for anyone running against him, pulse
or no.

Bob Kporland, OR

Oct. 30, 2013 2:52 a.m.

I can't believe that a highly educated State had such a lapse, to elect
Sen. Lee. Although he is making a show of peacemaking now, he was part of the
group that spent all of the Congress' time on trying to destroy ONE piece
of legislation, rather than taking a pause on that and passing the budget,
immigration law, and (heaven forbid, it would help Obama) a jobs bill.

I believe most DN readers consider themselves Christians, and many are lds
members.How can it be Christian to hold the country hostage to an agenda
of discrediting the President, ahead of doing one's job and helping
America's problems?

If Obamacare is so bad -- then do your jobs
to make the country strong, and let it have its problems, or even fail. Or
(heaven forbid, because it might help the President), work with it to make it
succeed.

The majority of America believes that the republicans in
Congress and the Senate are more interested in obstruction than in improving the
lot of everyday Americans.Do you wonder why?

HutteriteAmerican Fork, UT

Oct. 30, 2013 12:00 a.m.

He attempted. But that ship has sailed, and he wasn't on it.

bandersenSaint George, UT

Oct. 29, 2013 9:34 p.m.

This is not about Lee, it is about standing up for the right principles,
something that many democratic and Republican Party members lost along the way
of becoming a socialist country. it is not about changing Lee or Obama. it is
about changing ourselves and returning this country to its roots. if Citizens
begin to be more responsible, political parties will cease to exist and
government will be limited to its constitutional limits and powers, something
most politicians abhor, including our current president and most of our
representatives. I'm just the messenger.

Spellman789Syracuse, UT

Oct. 29, 2013 9:29 p.m.

If you look at history over the last 20 years, whenever a republican was in the
whitehouse spending increased as did the national debt, no so much with a
democrat. It is history, look it up.

Irony GuyBountiful, Utah

Oct. 29, 2013 9:20 p.m.

Hilarious. Mike Lee asking Republicans to move away from the "cronyism of
the wealthy" is like asking them to give up a kidney. Without the
self-obsession of the wealthy, there would be no Republican party.

Mark BEureka, CA

Oct. 29, 2013 8:59 p.m.

Well, that's just it. DN 2 is asking Hatch to "throw his full
support" to Lee. How likely is that when Hatch has, as DN2 points out, been
in the Senate since about the time Lee learned to read? I'm thinking,
it's hard to be both destroyer wannabe AND Peacemaker.

DN Subscriber 2SLC, UT

Oct. 29, 2013 7:38 p.m.

Senator Lee is right, all conservatives do need to work together.

Therefore, I hope that self-proclaimed "conservative" Orrin Hatch will
throw his full support and touted clout and seniority behind Lee's
conservative efforts to change things in Washington.

For too long,
complacent and compliant Republicans have quietly talked about being
conservatives, but quickly surrendered and were co-conspirators with the big
spending Democrats in running up the debt, expanding the government reach into
all aspects of our lives, and compromising everything while Democrats compromise
nothing.

Brave Senator Lee for trying to change things in Washington
that are broken, and have been broken for a decade or more. (And Hatch has been
there for 36 years!)